Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-03-19
Calling q Halt.
TO the Editor of THE EVENING STAR.

To the Editor Of The EVENING STAR.
It is high time to call very emphatic halt as
to the manner Of subdividing suburban property
in this District It must be apparent to the least
enthusiastic citizen as to the future development
our city, that before great many years, perhaps
not more than 90 the city will extend to the north
at least to the boundary Of the Distct 50 that In
view of such reasonable expectation, 1t is an Inn.
pOrtant matter that subdivisions OF suburban
property shall be made to conform to the plan Of
the city.
ANY person who will take the trouble to inspect
good map of the District, having suburban sub
W S Of
allowed the right to lay out streets and avenues,
not only not in harmony with the plan Of the city,
nues 13 from forty to sixty feet vide ana running
In every directiOnl At this rate the city will soon
be surrounded by "crazy" patch ork, the parts
lence to the plan OF the city. However inviting
these suburban places may be advertised to APP
pear at this date, not many years hence they win
gerati0n Of our present alley system.
It does seem little strange that all the old
cities, originally planned with narrow, crooked
Growth shall be with wider streets and strait
ones, while here we allow spectators 70 plan for
an opposite policy. NOW all our people, In fact
the people OF the whole country, will deeply de-
plore such an evil. The most beautifully planned
city the world has ever known framed by mis-
cradle patchwork OF lanes and alleys
A btlf in Congress at the last session requiring
all streets OF suburban towns to conform to the
plan OF the city failed. The Commissioners, how
ever, require that all subdivisions OF property in
any portion OF the District shall nrSt be approved
by them before ON O11ctal record can be made;
now. until we can have law passed by Congress
regulating the NATTER the evil might be stayed in
q great measure II the Commissioners viii refuse
approval Of all subdivisions not In accord with the
plan OF the city.
The manner OF naming the streets OF these sub
divisions Is another serious evil there Is system
whatever; names are given 70 please the fancy OF
the owners The alphabetical and numerical sys-
tenn established In the city has proved good: why
not extend the same system? New streets rum
ming north and south can be numbered TO an uu-
limited extent without CONFUSION; for those run
ming east and west the alphabet Is about exhausted
in the present city limits; but the alphabetical
order can be further extended BY naming the first
street running east and west beyond the present
boundary after some eminent American whose
name commences with the letter "a !" and the
next with the letter 'B, etc; for northwest and
northeast streets let the second lester be vowel,
as Ainsworth, Baker, ETC.. and for southeast and
II the alphabet should be again exhausted before
reaching the boundary line Of the District the
same plan might be pursued BY using double
novels and double c0nsOnantS; IN this way the
present excellent system cmn be enlarged and the
locality Of the new streets easily learned.
Speaking OF streets, there are four In the CITY
which always appeared to me badly named: East,
North and south Capitol streets and x street n W.
az to width and importance these are really ave.
nuea. Why not call them EAst avenue, North ave-
nue., South avenue? TO preserve the present al
phabettcal order Z street might b called Kansas
avenue. 4pgo1AG